Pain assessment amongst non-communicative patients such as patients with dementia or infants is difficult and highly subjective. Patients with dementia commonly have pain, and this pain often goes undetected and under treated. Undiagnosed pain can manifest in other symptoms such as increased confusion and behavioural change such as agitation and aggression which may lead to difficulties with delivering care, increased medication use and carer burden.
Existing tools that are based on American Geriatric Society's (AGS) guidelines are not automated, highly subjective resulting in significant variability, and hence inconsistencies in pain management of patients.
There is need for improvement.